HARRISBURG (May 19, 2021) – Lenny McAllister, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS), is available today to respond to Governor Wolf’s unfair attacks on public charter schools and his efforts to limit educational choices for Pennsylvania families. Please contact Jess Hickernell at j.hickernell@pacharters.org to schedule an interview.
In his budget proposal, Governor Wolf is calling for $229 million in funding cuts to public charter schools, including $99 million in cuts to special education students enrolled in public charter schools.
“What Governor Wolf continues to tout as ‘cost savings’ for school districts is nothing more than an attack on families who have exercised their right to choose a public charter school for their children,” said McAllister. “It harms those already hurting and helps those that already have billions in resources. Robbing Peter to please Paul is not a ‘cost saving’ and this approach is not helping Pennsylvania families overcome the lingering effects the pandemic has had on education.”
Despite widespread support from state lawmakers and PA families for charter schools, Governor Wolf also wants to unilaterally pass restrictions on charter schools with no input from lawmakers or charter families on his proposed regulations. The regulations have the potential to impact every facet of a public charter school’s operations.
“The voters of Pennsylvania sent a very clear message yesterday that they won’t stand for a leader making unilateral decisions, yet Governor Wolf wants to impose his anti-charter agenda on the people of Pennsylvania through the regulatory process – another edict by him alone without input from lawmakers or charter families on his proposed regulations,” said McAllister.
PCPCS in January announced its proposal for education reforms, requesting to work with lawmakers and Governor Wolf to create fair funding for ALL schools in Pennsylvania.
“Governor Wolf: Pennsylvania families want more educational options, not less. If we are truly ‘in this together’, togetherness must include all public schools – including charter schools,” said McAllister. “Now is not the time to pick winners and losers within public education – especially when the most vulnerable among us are counting on our partnership for a better Pennsylvania.”
We urge you to get the other side of the story on public charter schools and how they have helped thousands of families in Pennsylvania obtain a quality education for their children.
Please contact Jess Hickernell at j.hickernell@pacharters.org to interview Lenny McAllister on why public charter schools are an important educational option.
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About PCPCS: The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) is the state’s largest and most active organization advocating for both brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools. Pennsylvania’s 180 charter schools educate more than 165,000 students, and demand for these public schools continues to grow, with more than 25,000 students on charter school waitlists. For more information on PCPCS or charter schools, visit www.pacharters.org.
